What a wonderful adventure I had in Spain. Lots of delicious food: paella, patatas bravas, seafood and lots of tapas. Lots of cultural experiences: a beautiful Flamenco show and a bull fight. The environment and agriculture: Goat farm, dairy farm, poultry plant, olive oil facility, wine tasting. Nothing better than spending two weeks in Spain learning about all the aspects of its culture and its agriculture. We did a cooking class where we were able to make paella with chicken and rabbit, cheesy bread, and traditional Spanish sangria. I have never eaten such delicious food and I did not know I was capable of making such delicious food. There was an abundance of culture on this trip, but I feel there is an abundance of culture everywhere. Simply walking down, the street for dinner I was hit with the Spanish culture. That being the way the natives acted, interacted, and dressed. They present themselves differently than us Americans do. The majority making any adventure outside their home special, by dressing up and dressing out. Usually, these outfits were delicate and had an abundance of color and detail paired with a more modest and simpler pant. This came across as unusual as we got looks for wearing our tennis skirts and t-shirts. It was difficult to try to fit in as we always stuck out as Americans. Whether we dressed more modestly and/or kept our heads down, we could always be spotted in a crowd and could feel eyes looking upon us. With that, I never felt unsafe in any of the cities we went to which surprised me after hearing many horror stories from students who had gone abroad. I took measures to ensure all of my personal belongings were close to my persons and no one could easily swipe anything from me, but I never felt like that was going to happen, except maybe on the metro! Overall this was such a wonderful experience that I truly appreciate having gotten to have. Spain is a beautiful country with so much to offer within their culture and agriculture.
